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Story

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain doesn’t follow a traditional narrative structure like a role-playing game or a story-driven adventure. Instead, it thrives on the dynamic storytelling inherent in professional wrestling. Players dive into a career mode where they can guide a chosen wrestler through the thrilling and unpredictable world of WWE. The game provides a sandbox-like experience where players can make choices that affect their wrestler’s career path, rivalries, and alliances.

Career mode is where the game’s storytelling comes alive. Players begin by selecting a wrestler, whether a created character or one of the many real-life wrestlers featured in the game. The narrative evolves based on player decisions, match outcomes, and interactions with other wrestlers. These interactions can lead to partnerships, rivalries, and even betrayals, capturing the essence of WWE’s dramatic storytelling. The game includes various story arcs and scenarios, ensuring that no two playthroughs are identical.

Gameplay

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain sets itself apart with its refined gameplay mechanics, which offer both depth and accessibility. This installment in the SmackDown series introduced several new features and improvements that elevated the wrestling game genre.

Fighting Mechanics

The game introduces a new grappling system that allows for greater control and variety in moves. Players can perform a diverse array of strikes, grapples, and submission holds, adding to the strategic depth of matches. The addition of a weight detection system ensures that matches are more realistic; smaller wrestlers can’t easily lift larger opponents, which affects strategy and moveset selection.

Match Types and Modes

Here Comes The Pain offers a multitude of match types, including singles, tag team, triple threat, fatal four-way, and several specialty matches like Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, and the Royal Rumble. Each match type provides unique challenges and requires different strategies to win.

The game also introduces a robust Create-a-Wrestler feature, allowing players to customize their own wrestling persona with a wide range of options for appearance, moves, and entrance styles. This customization adds a personal touch to the gameplay experience, as players can bring their own creations into the ring.

Season Mode

Season mode offers players an immersive experience where they can navigate the career of a WWE superstar. Players must manage relationships with other wrestlers, make strategic decisions backstage, and compete in events to climb the ranks of WWE. This mode emphasizes role-playing elements, allowing players to shape their wrestler’s career and legacy within the WWE universe.

Graphics and Sound

Visual Presentation

For its time, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain boasted impressive graphics, with detailed character models and realistic animations that captured the high-energy nature of WWE events. The game’s arenas are faithfully recreated, complete with pyrotechnics, crowd animations, and the signature Titantron entrances that add to the spectacle of each match.

Audio Experience

The game’s sound design complements its visual fidelity. The soundtrack features a selection of energetic tracks that enhance the excitement of matches. Commentary is absent, which may be a downside for some, but the game compensates with authentic crowd noises and wrestler sound effects, creating an immersive atmosphere that mirrors the live WWE experience.

Legacy and Reception

Upon its release in 2003, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain received widespread acclaim from both critics and fans. It is often hailed as one of the greatest wrestling games ever made, thanks to its deep gameplay mechanics, extensive roster, and engaging career mode.

The game’s legacy is cemented by its influence on future wrestling games. Its innovative mechanics, particularly the introduction of the weight detection system and the refined grappling controls, set a new standard for realism and strategy in wrestling games. These innovations influenced subsequent titles in the SmackDown series and other wrestling franchises.

Fans continue to celebrate Here Comes The Pain for its nostalgic value and enduring appeal. It remains a beloved title in the wrestling game community, often cited as a benchmark against which newer games are judged.

Conclusion

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain stands as a landmark title in the history of wrestling video games. Its blend of realistic mechanics, diverse gameplay options, and immersive career mode create an experience that captures the excitement and drama of WWE. The game’s impact on the genre is undeniable, with many of its innovations becoming staples in future wrestling games.

For fans of wrestling and video games alike, Here Comes The Pain offers an unparalleled experience that remains enjoyable even years after its initial release. Its enduring popularity and influence underscore its status as a classic, ensuring its place in the pantheon of great video games.